Head for venetian blinds



Feb. 3, 1948. c. .1. VAN BUREN HEAD FOR VENETIAN BLINDS 2 Sheets-Sh eet 1 Filed Sept 11, 1945.

I 1 INVENTOR. Charles J VanBureK,

Feb. 3, 1948. c. J. VAN BUREN ,4

FOR VENETIAN BLINDS V Filed se t. 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 IN VHV TOR.

lg crie'sJ YarzBur-en l Patented Feb. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I HEAD FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Charles J. Van Buren, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Application September 11, 1945, Serial No. 615,622

This invention relates to heads for Venetian blinds of the character of that shown in my pend- .ing application for patent, Serial No. 515,412,

filed December 23, 1943, and patented September 25, 1945, No. 2,385,391. In the said application the blind proper is carried by a cap plate which is pivoted adjacent one end to a fixed overlying head or frame plate l4. Such pivoting of the cap plate 5 hinges it to swing horizontally outwardly like a door, carrying with it the Venetian blind proper. Thus, not only is the rear side of the blind rendered accessible for cleaning or repair, but unobstructed access may be had to the glass of the window for adjustment, repair or cleaning of the same.

Now the present invention contemplates certain improvements in the above described structure for facilitating the movement of the blind to closed or window covering position; for supporting the weight of the blind while in such closed position and for assuring such proper registry of coacting locking elements of the swinging cap plate and fixed head plate, that the locking means will function smoothly and efiiciently.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the fixed head or frame plate with the parts in closed position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the head and cap plates in closed position with a part of the cap plate broken away to show the locking mechanism.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 3A is a view like Figure 3, showing a slightly modified construction.

Figure 4 is a plan view, like Figure 1, but with the parts in partly open position.

Figure 5 is a end elevation of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a front elevation of Figure 5.

Like numerals designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

To facilitate a ready understanding of the relationship of this applicationto my parent application, above referred to, I have used the same reference characters in this application as are employed in said parent application.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device comprises a fixed head or frame plate 14 adapted to be fit in the top of a window frame. Hingedly pivoted at l2 to frame plate I4 is a swinging cap plate 5. In my parent application aforesaid the pivotal connection at I2 is a detachable one so that the cap 5 with the Venetian blind (not shown) suspended therefrom may be bodily removed from the window. However, since the present invention relates tothe locking and supporting means atthe fre end of the hinged cap plate 5 a simple pivot l2 has been indicated in the present case. ,In my aforesaid application th cap plate is held in its closed position by a bolt 60, slidably mounted upon frame plate M and having an inturned hook-lik end which engages in a keeper 5b of the cap plate 5. Endwise movement is imparted to bolttil by a cam slot 58 and pin 59, .the latter being carried by bolt 69 and engaging in said slot. When a handle 55 is swung from the open position of Fig. 4

to the closed position of Fig. 1, the hook-like end of bolt 60 is caused to engage the keeper 5b of Figs. 2 and 6. Since the weight of the whole blind proper is suspended from cap plate 5 it follows that after a long period of use, wear upon pivot I2 mightpermit the free end of the cap plate to sag as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. This would cause such lowering of the keeper 5b with respect to the inturned end of-the hook 60 that the hook would no longer engagev properly with the keeper, but would strike the keeper instead of engaging beneath it. To preventthis and to insure proper support of theblind and proper registry of bolt and keeper, the improvements of the present application have been devised. One form of the improvement'consists of a pin A projecting from the end of cap plate 5 which pin, as the blind is swung to closed p0sltion,.rides upwardly along an inclinedcam face B of a fixed plate 0. 'Ihis'causes the free end of the cap plate to be forced upwardly and causes the upper face of the cap plat to lie snugly against the underside of the frame plate l4. This, in turn insures proper registration of the bolt with its keeper so that when handle 55 is swung from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 1, the hooked end of the bolt will engage snugly beneath the top member of keeper 5 and the cap plate will beheld securely closed in locked and supported position.- The plate C may depend from the frame plate 14 as in Fig. 3 or it may be secured to the top or other part of the window casing D in Fig. 3A. The cap plate 5 may have its rear wall notched as indicated at 50 to permitit to clear the hook 60in its swinging movement to and from closed position.-

I wish to claim any and all means forautomatically elevating the free end of the cap plate under the force manually imposed upon said plate in swinging it to closed positionyand I wish to claim this whether the parts are sunported by frame plate I4 or otherwise.

Further, it will be noted that the pin and cam plate 0 serve not only the function of elevating 3 the cap plate and parts carried thereby, but they serve as a stop to limit the inward swinging movement of the cap plate to assure that it will be brought to a stop in that position in which the bolt will be properly aligned and in registry with its keeper.

It is not essential that the blind be mounted directly in a window frame because it may be mounted upon brackets that are independent of the window frame and my invention includes such a construction.

Other means may suggest themselves for accomplishing the object of the invention. I therefore wish it to be understood that the inve'n 15 tion includes within its purview whateverchanges fairly come within either the 1. In a head structure for Venetian blinds comprising a cap plate pivotedat one end to a support to swing horizontally, of means dis posed at'the'free'e'nd of said cap plate-constructed to automatically elevate said free end 'as the cap plate is swung to closed position.

2. In a head structure for Venetian blinds comprising a cap plate pivoted at one end 'toa sup port to swingoutwardly like "a doorto-open positerm or the spirit of the appended claims. Y

Having described my invention, what I claimv tion,. a cam member having 'an i'nclined surface adjacent the closed 'posi tiono f theswinging end of said plate to be engaged by 'a cap plate car ried part to move the free 'end'of the 'capplate c ap pl'ate 'and Ia fixed cam platefove'r and up which said fpin rides as the cap plate movesj to closed position for moving the free end of the cap plate upwardly.

4. In a head structure for Venetian blinds the combination witha fixed top 'frame plate '45 of a cap plate 'pivotally connected thereto jat one end 'for horizontal swinging movement, a cam plate depending fro'm'a'n'd below the frame plate, and a pin projectingfrom the ennui the upwardly as said cap plate moves to closed posicap plate and riding upwardly over the cam plate as the cap plate is moved to closed position.

5. A structure as recited in 'claim "4 incombi nation with a lock striicturacarried complementally by the top frame plate and the cap plate, the elements'of which are'niovedin't'o registry with each other. by the coactio'n ofth'e pin and cam "plate in swinging the 'cap plate to closed position.

6, In ahead structure for Venetian blinds-comprisinga fixed head platea'nd a capplate swingable to closed and openpo'sitionscain means disposed on said fixed plate for elevating 'the cap plate at the te'rmifation of "its swinging movement to closed position. V

'7. In a head structure for Venetian blinds, the combination with a fixed top frame 'plate'of'a cap plate connected'thereto at one end for out ward horizontal swinging movement; a cam plate carried'by the top frame plate and means car-' ried by the cap plate engageable with the cam plate at the termination of the movement of the latter to closed position for forcin he cap plate upwardly against the frame plate.

8. A structure as recited in claim '7, in combination with a locking means between the top frame plate and the cap plate, the elements of which are moved into registry with each other by said upward movement of the cap plate.

9. A structure-as recited in claim 7, in combination with a longitudinally movable bolt carried by the top frame plate and a keeper carried by the cap plate, upward movement of the cap plate moving said keeper into position to be engaged by 's'aid bolt.

,10..-A;structure as recited in claim 7, in combination with a longitudinally movable bolt car- Y ried by the top frame plate and terminating in a. downwardly and inwardly projecting hooklike "end and a keeper carried by the cap plate, the upward movement of the cap plate moving said keeper into positionfto facilitate engagement of thefhook like *end of the bolt therebeneath. 151. The 'combinatio'n with a'two part head for Venetian blinds, one part being liked and the other part being movable from a closed to an open position with respect to'a 'win'dowmf means engaging and forihgfthe movable part toward the fixed part at the termination of the move m n or the-movable part to closed position.

12. In c'om'bina'tioma two part head for Vene tian blihds 'one of which is fikedjand the other of which is "hinged thereto'toswing outwardly like adoor, one of said parts-carrying a cam andthe other of said parts carrying a member ridable over the cam to "elevate the hinged part as it moves-toward elosedfposition.

13. In a head for Venetian blinds, a fixed top frame part, and a hinged cap plate part,*a cam carried by one of said parts and a member carried by the other of said parts to coact with said cam for raising said hinged part. 7 14. In a head for Venetian blinds in combina tion'with'a suDp Qrt; ofa cap 'plate, means for pivotally mounting the 'cap plate "to swing outwardly like a door with relation to the su'pport, looking elements between the support and cap plate and inter-engaging members between the support and the cap plate, acting-at the termination of the swinging movement of the cap plate to align said locking members and move'the cap plate upwardly against the support. 15. Astructure-as recited in*claim l lwherein saidinterengagingmembers comprise a fixed cam and a pin carried by'tlie cap plate riding over said cam.

16. A structure as recited in claim 14, in combination with-a bolt'carried'by th'e'supportjand a keeper for the-bolt carried bythe cap plate, the keeper and -"the bolt being properly-aligned when said inter engaging members reach their limit of the'm'ov'em'ent, p

' CHARLES J. 'VAN BUREN.

'R EFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file Of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS 

